A recent article from the Boston Globe Online highlighted a new trend in private college financial aid. While state universities have long offered decreased tuition to in-state students, an increasing number of private colleges, including such prestigious schools as Harvard University and Wellesley College, are offering special benefits to local students.
Northwestern University is one such school. Their recent "Good Neighbor, Great University" offers a scholarship to high school students hailing from the university's hometown of Evanston, Ill. The idea originated with the university's task force on diversity, an initiative created in response to increasing racial tensions in the university community. Northwestern hopes not only to increase diversity in their school, which has been declining for some years, but also to increase local ties to the community and compete with larger universities for these local students.
This trend is not limited to prestigious universities offering traditional academic programs. Davis and Elkins College in rural West Virginia arranged a similar scholarship in order to compete with the much larger, and less expensive, West Virginia University. This small school expects to increase its enrollment by targeting applicants from the surrounding counties, areas in which few students traditionally attend college.
Meredith France, a graduate of West Virginia University, feels that these types of scholarships are highly beneficial.
"It is a great idea because if you are educated in the state you are more likely to work in the state and they definitely need more workers/businesses in the state," said France.
Boston University offers local scholarships with a twist. The University requires the recipients to complete twenty-five hours of community service every semester. By mandating community service, the University hopes to strengthen local ties and encourage local students to engage with their community.
Despite a recent focus on global engagement, Smith College is among the school's that uses location-based scholarships to attract applicants from Northampton and Hatfield. According to Director of Student Financial Services David Belanger, the major program offered is the Trustee Grant, which extends aid to traditional age, full-time students whose parents have resided in Northampton or Hatfield for a minimum five years. From 2008 to 2009, nine students received such assistance valued at $107,432, according to the Smith Financial Aid We site.
The Springfield/Holyoke Partnership offers another form of aid for students from the greater Western Mass area. It provides up to four full-tuition scholarships for students who attended public high schools in Springfield or Holyoke. Belanger stated that the benefits of such programs are multifold and servrve to increase the level of diversity at Smith.
"Both the city of Springfield and Holyoke have a large number of minority students enrolled in high school," he said. "Having local students enrolled in our program allows a connection to the community. This can lead to a partnership in building a stronger community." Similar goals of community building and diversification lie behind Smith's other forms on non-financial outreach to local students. Local residents are able, for a fee, to audit Smith courses and students from Northampton High School are able to take courses at no extra charge for credit.
"Members of the community are able to utilize what Smith has to offer. It is possible that a program of this type could increase diversity," Belanger said.
As is the case with the "Good Neighbor, Great University" program at Northwestern, the Smith grants allow room for individual families to receive further need-based financial aid. However, according to Belanger, the grants are not perfect programs.
"[Negative aspects of the programs] include the college spending more [on the] Trustee Grant than anticipated," Belanger said. Additionally, he noted that the Springfield/Holyoke partnership is limited. "[Students] might not be offered the award since the maximum number of awards was already offered," he said.
"As a local student that receives a lot of help from the program, I'm thankful that it exists, " Said Meghan Fitzgerald '12. "Since the scholarships are based on more than just being a local, I think it's a good way to give a great education to girls who might not have been able to afford it."
Northwestern University is one such school. Their recent "Good Neighbor, Great University" offers a scholarship to high school students hailing from the university's hometown of Evanston, Ill. The idea originated with the university's task force on diversity, an initiative created in response to increasing racial tensions in the university community. Northwestern hopes not only to increase diversity in their school, which has been declining for some years, but also to increase local ties to the community and compete with larger universities for these local students.
This trend is not limited to prestigious universities offering traditional academic programs. Davis and Elkins College in rural West Virginia arranged a similar scholarship in order to compete with the much larger, and less expensive, West Virginia University. This small school expects to increase its enrollment by targeting applicants from the surrounding counties, areas in which few students traditionally attend college.
Meredith France, a graduate of West Virginia University, feels that these types of scholarships are highly beneficial.
"It is a great idea because if you are educated in the state you are more likely to work in the state and they definitely need more workers/businesses in the state," said France.
Boston University offers local scholarships with a twist. The University requires the recipients to complete twenty-five hours of community service every semester. By mandating community service, the University hopes to strengthen local ties and encourage local students to engage with their community.
Despite a recent focus on global engagement, Smith College is among the school's that uses location-based scholarships to attract applicants from Northampton and Hatfield. According to Director of Student Financial Services David Belanger, the major program offered is the Trustee Grant, which extends aid to traditional age, full-time students whose parents have resided in Northampton or Hatfield for a minimum five years. From 2008 to 2009, nine students received such assistance valued at $107,432, according to the Smith Financial Aid We site.
The Springfield/Holyoke Partnership offers another form of aid for students from the greater Western Mass area. It provides up to four full-tuition scholarships for students who attended public high schools in Springfield or Holyoke. Belanger stated that the benefits of such programs are multifold and servrve to increase the level of diversity at Smith.
"Both the city of Springfield and Holyoke have a large number of minority students enrolled in high school," he said. "Having local students enrolled in our program allows a connection to the community. This can lead to a partnership in building a stronger community." Similar goals of community building and diversification lie behind Smith's other forms on non-financial outreach to local students. Local residents are able, for a fee, to audit Smith courses and students from Northampton High School are able to take courses at no extra charge for credit.
"Members of the community are able to utilize what Smith has to offer. It is possible that a program of this type could increase diversity," Belanger said.
As is the case with the "Good Neighbor, Great University" program at Northwestern, the Smith grants allow room for individual families to receive further need-based financial aid. However, according to Belanger, the grants are not perfect programs.
"[Negative aspects of the programs] include the college spending more [on the] Trustee Grant than anticipated," Belanger said. Additionally, he noted that the Springfield/Holyoke partnership is limited. "[Students] might not be offered the award since the maximum number of awards was already offered," he said.
"As a local student that receives a lot of help from the program, I'm thankful that it exists, " Said Meghan Fitzgerald '12. "Since the scholarships are based on more than just being a local, I think it's a good way to give a great education to girls who might not have been able to afford it."
Finding free college scholarships and grants for high school students is not a simple task, however, thanks to some government programs available and with the help of the college or university that you expect to attend, there are some free college scholarships and grants available if you know where and how to research these programs.
That being said, there are other alternatives to finance college tuition in scholarships, grants and awards that should be reviewed to see what you may qualify for. One source that I found helpful is located here.
